The NBA All-Star game will revert back to its original format when it commences this season in Indianapolis, league officials confirmed on Wednesday. This marks an end to the updated All-Star game format that has been used over the past six seasons.
Originally, the All-Star game consisted of an Eastern Conference and Western Conference team of 12 players from each conference. “The theme this year is ‘Back to basketball,'” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver declared to reporters on Wednesday. “We’re looking at some potential changes in format. Maybe a return to something more traditional in terms of how the teams are presented.”
This year, the captains of each team will be selected through voting by fans. Each of the five starting players in each NBA franchise will be up for selection. According to Silver, the decision to re-format comes as the league looks to ensure that fans get a competitive game that is enjoyable to watch despite lacking the intensity of playoff and regular-season games.
